if you haven't heard there's a new report from Google and YouTube that reveals why some YouTube channels grow why others do not the truth is the YouTube growth landscape has been massively changing in 2025 and really over the last year and if you think that success on YouTube is about perfect lighting perfect presentation or having fancy equipment think again this report reveals some pretty surprising insights about what really matters after surveying thousand thousands of consumers of content and you and I can benefit from that information for our own channels whether you're just starting whether you want to grow faster or maybe you hit a plateau in this video we're going to be covering six insights from this report that you can immediately apply to get better results on your next video Welcome to the think media podcast my name is Sean canel your guide to building a profitable YouTube channel and today we are talking about this study called why we watch beyond the frame how viewers perceive content quality so Google did a study of thousands of consumers and they figured out what do people really want to see in videos now in today's episode we're covering six of the insights and this is actually going to be a three-part series because there's so much in this report which I'll link up in the show notes but the cool thing is this isn't Theory this isn't outdated advice and this isn't just somebody's opinion um I have grown multiple channels personally got like three silver play buttons in a gold play button but things also change over the years so hopefully you're listening to advice on YouTube from a place of authority but there's also something about having like real data and not just people putting stuff out there for clickbait and stuff like that so let's get into number one and here's the takeaway share personal stories behind your teaching points the stat brain scans show 73% higher engagement during personal storytelling moments so they hook some people up to some machines with wires into their brain and when watching a video there's something about the information the facts the details but when we click into story mode 73% higher engagement if you weave in a story now telling storytelling itself is an art form you know you don't want to take two hours to tell a life story to illustrate one point right so kind of figuring out how to tie it in but this reminds me of a famous quote that says facts tell but stories sell and in business I think that's important to know the stories are the they illustrate things right they bring life to it and our brains are wired for stories so sometimes if it's too monotonous if it's too monotonous how many different ways can you say that word if it's too droning on it's just all information you got to you got to liven it up with some personal stories and the Insight is that viewers connect more deeply with content that includes real experiences rather than just information and an application could be to start your next video or tie into your next video something that shares a story that illustrates the points you're making or maybe this phrase you know I used to struggle with this too and based on my experience now let's take this deeper because there is a guideline from Google that helps influence the ranking of websites and I am certain this thinking from Google since Google owns YouTube applies to video content as well in 2025 one of the biggest threats if you will is AI content that more than ever before information-based videos and informationon based videos are easier and easier and easier to make and people can also just regurgitate information because they go to chat GPT and just get a checklist of things to say in a video well this Google guidelines called eat really reinforces this first point and really serious content creators and entrepreneurs doing video need to know this here's what it stands for Google's eat guidelines stand for experience expertise authoritativeness and trustworthiness basically Google is ranking websites based off of firstand experience and I think this is interesting because AI can't have experience right or some somebody that just gets a script from AI can't really connect I me they can try if they're a good actor but like it's your stories it's your trauma it's the stuff you've been through that connects so the Insight is real stories and personal experience help your content stand out from just AI generated or Surface level content really I think in 2025 we're going to see a couple Trends One content is becoming more shallow and more surface level but two those who go deep are going to win and so how can you include in your next video these four elements experience when did you live that point have you made mistakes in that area how did you learn that like when people this is what people want to see anybody can pump out like a product review but not anybody can pump out I actually tried the product and I did experiments with it for two weeks and then I made some mistakes for the third week and then I tested it and it broke on the fourth week anybody can just regurgitate the bullet points on an Amazon listing page experience like you've actually had the experience with it second expertise this speaks to having some real depth doing something for a while not just starting a you I mean you can start a YouTube channel I think if you're one or two steps ahead of other people but there's something about having expertise and compounding your expertise and actually getting good and actually getting some months under your belt and then some years under your belt authoritativeness how can you include authoritativeness in your video and this might be just letting people know yeah you know you know earlier on I said I've got a couple so silver play buttons and a gold play button so you just might say okay out of all the people I could follow and listen to if Sean has some experience been doing video I think for 22 years now I started video for my church in 2003 so 22 years ago that's a little bit of experience some expertise in that some Authority because I've got some results on some silver play buttons or whatever and then trustworthiness and this is going to speak to of course the quality of the information you present if it gets results for people or not or if it works if it's funny or if it's educational and they apply it and it generates results for people but then trustworthiness over time as well so I think this number one point is not just backed up by the study but we're seeing Google wait this point that kind of ties into share personal stories behind your teaching points because real experience and lived experience woven into your videos is going to be one of the fundamental keys to success on YouTube going forward as the landscape continues to change every day you want to start your YouTube channel is another day of missed opportunities and untap potential here's the truth YouTube reaches more 18 to 49 year olds than all the cable networks combined the opportunity is massive and the think media team and I want to help you sees it I'm excited to announce our YouTube 1K challenge a free 5-day event that will give you the exact blueprint to start and grow your YouTube channel in 2025 whether you're an entrepreneur business owner or somebody ready to grow their personal brand this challenge is your road map to success to register just go to tube 1K challenge. com we're going to be doing one training session a day for 5 days and you're going to learn how to get your first 1,000 subscribers and start earning real income Insider strategies that make viewers want to click on your videos and keep watching multiple different ways to earn money from your YouTube channel even if you have a small audience and how to build an authentic personal brand that truly connects with people but it gets even better we are giving away prizes every single day of the challenge you could win 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com or click the link in the show notes or YouTube description to register for our upcoming Challenge number two show your learning process instead of just the results so here's the stat 74% of of viewers trust creators who demonstrate how they gained their knowledge the Insight is showing how you learn something builds more credibility than simply stating the facts it also just generally makes things more interesting because we want to see the process and the journey and the study backs this up and you know I think a great example of this at a higher level is Mark robber who's got a super cool YouTube channel he's done a lot of things where like he sort of surprises and scams the scammers and he's done some videos where he had these squirrel obstacle courses those are my favorite ones and oftentimes he shows the prototypes he shows the failed attempts and he shows the process it'd be one thing to just show the final squirrel obstacle course and the squirrels going through it but he really brings you in along the journey and so here's some thoughts on how you could apply this one you could include segments showing your research process showing your notes showing how you figured something out again if maybe you had a fitness channel it's kind of a good example there's something about seeing the journey and the transformation and the process and the failure along the way as you document the journey and show the ups and downs as opposed to just yeah I did the workouts and here's the final result people like okay cool but like show me the ups and downs the pain the good and the bad show me the failed attempts and the prototypes and the things that you learned bottom line is that viewers trust creators who demonstrate how they gained their knowledge not just showing off the knowledge that they gained all right next insight create multi-part content that rewards regular viewers here's the stat series viewers show 14% higher engagement than random video Watchers the Insight is connected content builds stronger viewer loyalty than Standalone videos so ask yourself this question not just what video should I make next but what series should I make next there are a lot of creators out there that understand the power of not just creating Standalone videos but creating series I think of Matt dlla he usually will you know take a topic and go pretty deep in it sometimes not just doing kind of a mini documentary but extending it over a multi-part series which leaves you hanging and wanting more you know my attempt to apply this point was realizing how many insights are in this report that are directly applicable to your next video so I thought rather than share all 15 in one episode how about I do about five per episode and what we're doing here so subscribe for the rest of the episodes in this very series um you know trying to practice what I'm learning from the report next be real about your mistakes and your learning moments here's the stat brain scan show 63% stronger viewer connection during moments of vulnerability here's the Insight sharing struggles builds more trust than only showing successes and so you can see that some of these are stacking but I think there's some Nuance to this the the key word here being vulnerability I heard it said once that people need to hear about your struggle before they connect with your success and in a lot of the entrepreneurs that I've coached I found that they struggle with this one I think the myth is oh people want to know that I overcame the pro problem they want to know that I'm you know I solved it look at me now I'm successful now and I'm and I'm kind of it's not like they're doing it from a prideful or arrogant place but they are kind of doing it from a powerful Place thinking like that's what's going to connect with people and the truth is it actually if you miss this piece it can actually be a block to connection with people and it's not that you don't want to share your successes because especially if you're teaching something most people want to learn from somebody who's achieved the result it's just the fact that people connect with your struggle before they connect with your success so this ties into the storytelling but takes it deeper to say it's not just in telling stories but specifically tell stories about genuine challenges where have you failed where have you stumbled along the way sometimes what can happen too is we just forget where we came from and it's maybe been so long like I have to always remind myself especially now that I built multiple different YouTube channels I got to go all the way back to the fear of getting on camera and what are people going to think go back to the frustration of working so hard on videos and those views being incredibly low and it's like I've edited a video for seven hours and it only got seven views and that makes you want to give up and be intentional about remembering about the path I have personally walked a path full of failure and mistakes and scrapes and scars I think that I hold the record for making the most mistakes out of any YouTube Creator I've posted enough videos and made enough bad videos that I eventually got to some good ones and so an application for this is considering your next video not just sharing stories to illustrate your points and not just sharing successes but also sharing your struggles and I did receive one final piece of advice on this that I think is invaluable and it was this share your scars don't share your open wounds because when we think about vulnerability I think that it can at times be a mistake to be vulnerable about something that is not healed yet or at least somewhat in scar form but it's literally a gushing wound it's super sensitive we haven't fully processed it and it just might not be the right time to vomit that into a YouTube video or all over social media just something to consider that there's maybe certain stories that are appropriate for vulnerability and going to be helpful to others and maybe others where if you just bleed on people and it's maybe a little bit toxic hey it's your channel it's your content but that advice is served me well well I think that all stories maybe can eventually be shared but some maybe should be kept a little bit private until they've healed up a little bit more next Insight emotional connection beats video quality here's the stat 97% it's a wild number basically everybody 97% of viewers prioritize emotional connection while less than 1% care only about technical quality now you might be new here but if you've known me for a while you I'm you know I started the think media channel right so I love cameras I love lenses I love gear I got all this gear behind me listen I'm I'm All About that camera quality that technical quality I'm here for it but here's what the data says only 1% of viewers like that's what matters to them only 1% care about the technical aspects of a video but 97% care about the emotional aspects that's interesting because it makes me wonder it's like how much money have you invested in cameras or Tech or lighting or plan to invest and how much money have you invested in therapy and books and storytelling that would is it balanced you know I don't know like how how tapped in are you to not just your emotions but sharing emotions and it's not like you have to you know you got to just be yourself but it's emotional connection right it's the emotional connection that really matters the Insight is viewers stay for authentic connection not for production value and I actually have a bunch of questions you can ask before hitting record to get into the right mindset and to get into the right if you will vibe for filming based on this point because developing your message more developing your content more and even emotional hooks is going to be better than tweaking the technical details so here's like five questions to ask before you hit record number one what's the core emotion I want viewers to feel when watching this video is it inspiration laughter curiosity Comfort a sense of community number two how does my experience connect to the viewers even if your topic is technical find the human element and that is that phrase we talked about like I used to struggle with this two is a powerful starting point you know I think back remember when I was starting in some of the emotions I felt and some of the overwhelm I felt you also can share your why why does this matter to you not just what are the facts and the details but the why behind it why are you passionate about this why do you care number three where can I inject vulnerability this doesn't mean oversharing but being genuine about your challenges did you make mistakes learning this did you have doubts this builds trust and shows you're not the perfect expert number four how can I make this feel more like a conversation so even though YouTube videos are Solo there's things you could do that better pull viewers in that can lead to that vulnerability and connection you can use language like we you can ask questions and obviously that person's not there to respond except maybe you're watching the YouTube version and they can reply in the comments which is really cool about the fact that YouTube is a two-way conversation but you might anticipate thoughts and you know what you might be thinking next and you're like that is what I'm thinking and so it's kind of an art form and a skill to develop but imagine you're explaining it to a friend and I think it's just something to practice but I do know that some creators have kind of a preachy tone to it or it doesn't feel like I'm being included in the conversation versus others kind of have this two-way conversation going and so something to consider number five what's the takeaway beond the information so when you're planning your video ask this question how will this video leave the viewer feeling empowered is it a new skill is it a shift in mindset is it a sense of belonging what do you want the viewer to feel especially once the video completes this is the so what that makes them care being thoughtful that like this is leading to something that there is a aha moment there's a so what to this and there's an interesting concept called The Epiphany bridge and it's actually thinking about when crafting content that there's like a problem or an obstacle and then there is a story and the point of the story is to have a moral of the story that leads to Epiphany an epiphany and then as a result the story helps someone overcome a limiting belief overcome that obstacle and arrive at a new destination I hope that you experienced that multiple times on this podcast that it's like maybe I thought it was too late to start YouTube and then I'll share with you a story about creators that are starting in the last six months and they are starting new channels and having success and that might be an epiphany that like it's not too late to start YouTube and so there's an aha moment there's a takeaway or the new stats that are happening so you're just structuring your video number five what's the takeaway behind this information and how am I going to get people there with a lot of the tools we've been learning in this entire video storytelling vulnerability what epiphanies could I create on the journey along the way now I've got one more insight to share with you but I did want to give you a heads up that if you have not heard our next free 5-day YouTube challenge is coming up soon or it might already be happening right now and you can check it out at tube 1K challenge. com whether you jump in partway through or whether you just register for the waiting list for the next one our free YouTube challenges are incredible people love them it's all about how to get your first or next 1,000 subscribers it's about the new ways and the fundamentals of how to build a side income and go full-time on YouTube and we do a lot of giveaways of software gear Tech tools that will help you create content and every single day we learn something and every single day we have application we are challenged to do something the reason it's called a five-day challenge is because it's going to be challenging challenging you to Define your Niche and your topic Better or For the First Time challenging you to come up with better video ideas structure and outline those videos and even film a video so whether you're already started on YouTube but maybe you're feeling stuck or whether you've been on the fence and you're like now's my time 2025 is my year go to tube 1K challenge. com to register for free or check out the link in the show notes and you can be a part of our next challenge okay here's our bonus point you do not need the perfect set here's the stat research shows viewers trust content more when they can see it comes from a genuine place and I know a lot of people sometimes feel like man I got nowhere to film in my house I have nowhere to film in my apartment and it's always like making excuses like one day when I'm able to clean up that YouTube background or buy that stuff on a Amazon or one day when I get that garage studio built that I want or one day when my kitchen or my bedroom's cleaner listen press record now research shows people just want to see the genuine it's okay to film if your house is messy if you're a parent like me I got a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old it is Perpetual chaos in my house and so the application is film your actual environment instead of creating the perfect backdrop let viewers see where you really work and create which I think ties into the theme of this first part of the three-part series we are doing on the what weat 2.
